WP: Justice Dept. Opposes Shield for Reporters (Lugar/Dodd bill)

[DeepModem Mom]

Justice Dept. Opposes Shield for Reporters
Bill on Sources Called 'Bad Public Policy'

By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 20, 2005; Page A03


The Justice Department is opposing a bipartisan effort on Capitol Hill to protect journalists from having to reveal confidential sources, calling the legislation "bad public policy" that would impair the administration's ability "to effectively enforce the law and fight terrorism."

In testimony prepared for a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing this morning, Deputy Attorney General James B. Comey Jr. says that "imposing inflexible, mandatory standards" would hurt the department on prosecutions involving public health, safety and national security.

The department's stance is a disappointment to lawmakers and news media advocates who have been negotiating with Justice officials and this week scaled back the bill to meet administration objections. Senate sponsors Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.) and Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) altered the measure to allow prosecutors to compel journalists to testify about sources if that would prevent "imminent and actual harm to national security" and the potential harm outweighs the public interest in unfettered reporting.

Dodd said Justice officials "are making a judgment that this is good politics for them to be opposed." While the legislation faces "a hard mountain to climb," he said, it is aimed not at journalists but at "consumers of information."

"There are numerous instances since the founding of the republic when we have relied on aggressive investigative reporting to get to the bottom of things," Dodd said. "You now have a chilling effect."...


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/19/AR2005071901474.html

[skids]

1. Shield law? Maybe someday, but not for YOU!

This bunch of half-asses doesn't deserve it. It does no good when there are no serious investigative journalists to start out with. Someday in the far future when the press gets its backbone back from the pawn shop, maybe we can reconsider it. But not for you, MSM.

[jrthin]

2. I agree with

the Justice Dept. Many journalists have abused States' shield laws, Wen-ho Lee rings a bell. The last time the media stepped to the plate was Watergate. Since then they have stifled dissent and used their power to spread smears and destroy innocent people.

[VegasWolf]

3. Exactly, and get a lot of money under the table to upgrade those DC

Georgians!

[wicket]

4. kick

:kick:

[KaliTracy]

5. Justice Dept. Criticizes Media Shield Bill

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050720/ap_on_go_co/media_shield

By LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press Writer


WASHINGTON - Under fire for presidential adviser Karl Rove's role in the leak of an undercover CIA agent's identity, the Bush administration on Wednesday labeled as "bad public policy" legislation to protect reporters from being jailed when they refuse to reveal their sources.

Deputy Attorney General James Comey canceled his appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee just before a hearing on this issue was to commence Wednesday morning. In prepared remarks already submitted to the panel, Comey said the measure would "create serious impediments" to the Justice Department's ability "to effectively enforce the law and fight terrorism."

"The bill is bad public policy primarily because it would bar the government from obtaining information about media sources — even in the most urgent of circumstances affecting the public's health or safety or national security," Comey's prepared remarks said.

"If that is so," said Sen. Christopher Dodd (news, bio, voting record), "then wouldn't we expect to see great threats to public safety in those states that have shield laws which are at least as protective as the shield laws that we propose?" Dodd, D-Conn., is a consponsor of the Senate bill.


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